good morning. president obama will be back on the campaign trail next hour for the first time since hurricane sandy hit. mitt romney has an event starting any minute now in roanoke, virginia. and we'll wait to see today's tone on the campaign trail, but it's been noticeably softer from romney since the storm. now, we continue to see absolutely devastating pictures from sandy. 74 people are now dead. 5 million still without power. this morning, president obama was briefed again on the situation by fema officials. yesterday, he spent four hours touring the damage and meeting with people in new jersey. in an emotional moment, a marina

owner came to him in tears. he promised her she's going to get the help she needs. >> we are with here for you. and we will not forget. we will follow up to make sure that you get all the help that you need until you've rebuilt. >> well, it's unprecedented timing. this is all happening just five days before the election. the latest round of nbc news wall street journal polls show the president leading in iowa, wisconsin, and new hampshire. but it is still very close. let me bring in washington post columnist dana millbank and molly ball. good morning. >> good morning. >> hi. >> let's start by talking about the president's response to the hurricane. a poll shows 78% view his response positively. what do you think, dana? is this helping him? >> well, i think it's sort of unseenly to try to gauge out who benefits from human tragedy. certainly, whoever is in charge,

if it's the president, if he doesn't have a hurricane katrina response, there's going to be some rallying effect whenever there's a national crisis. this seems to have benefitted the president. he hasn't made any obvious mistakes. now, of course, there's still a bit of time, but i think by the time people become disenchanted with the response, that'll be sometime after the election day. so it does appear that mother nature is voting democratic this year. >> well, the images of the president and chris christie have been everywhere. of course, christie has been very outspoken as the rnc keynote speaker. he describes obama as, quote, blindly walking around the white house looking for a clue. i think there was a bit of a love fest between him and the president yesterday. let me play some of that. >> we spent a significant afternoon together surveying the damage up and down the new jersey coastline. so i want to thank him for that. he has worked incredibly closely with me since before the storm

hit. i think this is our sixth conversation since the weekend. >> at the top of my list, i have to say governor christie, throughout this process, has been responsive. he's been aggressive in making sure the state got out in front of this incredible storm. i think the people of new jersey recognize that he has put his heart and soul into making sure that the people of new jersey bounce back. >> molly, that seems to be the very picture of bipartisanship, something we haven't seen very much of. to dana's poibnt, i don't want o suggest there's a political motivation on any elected officials part. i think these are all people who really want to make this horrible situation better, but can you ignore the imagery or the message it sends right at the heart of the last week of the presidential campaign? >> no, i mean, this is exactly what people want to see from their leaders, putting politics aside and working together no

matter what party you come from. you know, one of the biggest attacks on obama from romney and others has been that he can't work across the aisle. that when republicans have tried to work with him, he's been too divisive. a lot of romney's final ads airing in swing states are about bipartisanship, saying he was a bipartisan governor and he'll be able to mend some of these divisions in washington. it is certainly true that this aim image of bipartisan nature helps these politician and reassures a lot of people it's possible. >> let me bring in the national press secretary for the obama campaign. ben, good morning to you. >> good morning. >> look, again, not suggesting that anything this president is doing is politically motivated, but it is the end of a campaign. he's getting high marks for his handling of the storm.

there is also -- i think dana doesn't think so, but there are some people suggesting there is still potential for problems. we're seeing very long lines for gas, people are who are getting desperate in places like hoboken. let me play the mayor for you. >> we need more food. we need more resources. so anyone who's listening to this in the city of hoboken or neighboring towns who can get to us, we ask you to come and deliver your supplies. one thing we truly need, we need more fuel. >> ben, even if fema absolutely does its job, and there's every indication it is, there could still be images of desperate people come monday, tuesday. i know you'll want to say this is not political, but let me ask you about the implications. is there a possible downside here for the president? >> you know, the president is on this day and night. the administration is on this day and night. he put politics aside and ensured that federal resources were deployed to support this state's response efforts and to

ensure that all the victims were taken care of. those resources have been deployed. he's doing everything he can to ensure that the requests from states are met. while he'll be on the trail today, he's still going to be focused on this and going to ensure that the states receive everything that they've requested and everything that they've needed. this is one of the worst storms in our memories. the president's going to make sure that the federal government is very focused on this, that we cut through red tape and we ensure that the victims are taken care of. >> now, on the political side of this, each side has to decide what their closing message is going to be. mitt romney has been taking a softer tone. he didn't mention the president by name yesterday. he played off his sharpest attacks. let me play a little bit for you from yesterday. >> you should know i could not be in this race if i were not an optimist. i believe in the future of this

country. i know we have huge challenges. but i'm not frightened by them. i'm invigorated by the challenge. we're going to take on these challenges. we're going to overcome them. >> how much do you think this storm affected how these last few days of the campaign will play out and what the message will be and how it will be delivered, ben? >> well, the president's going to make his closing argument today in wisconsin and colorado and nevada. he's certainly going to recognize the victims of this storm at the top of his remarks and note that this was a time for democrats and republicans to come together and take care of those victims of the storm. thing the state of ohio, we've seen a little bit different tone from mitt romney this week. he's gotten himself into a battle with gm and chrysler. he said that chrysler is going to shut down jeep production in the state of ohio and scared a bunch of workers in the region. the auto companies have made clear that's absolutely not true.

i think we've seen a little bit of desperation in his closing message. >> and we have seen a slight swing for the president in our new swing state polls. i'm sure you saw what karl rove wrote today. in the last days of the presidential race, he says they favor mitt romney. the democrats are making a mistake because they're counting on inconsistent voters who may well not turn out. could turn out be the difference in this election? does karl rove have a point? >> well, i think turnout will make the difference in this election. republicans are betting on the fact that our coalition won't show up at the polls. if you look into those early vote numbers, they already have. we have a 60,000 vote lead in the state of iowa. across the country, it's a very diverse electorate so far. there are a lot of young people voting. there are a lot of women voting.

this looks like the coalition that elected the president in 2008. i know the republicans are focused on a slew of national polls. we're looking at the battleground states that will decide the elections. as you can see from the polls today, they're very encouraging for the president. >> ben, i know you have a busy day today. thanks for taking the time to talk to us. good luck. >> thanks. appreciate it. >> p d.dana, when you look at o polls, it might be tight, but the president does still have a need. "the new york times" numbers gu row tweeted obama has a 78.4% chance to win the electoral college in his 538 forecast. his lead is holding in these tipping point states. five days left. you know, the way we do this is they're dead in the middle. where do you think this race is right now? >> i think it's very enjoyable to see karl rove come out with his projections.

he does the same thing before every election. i think people should be on to his game at this point. >> are you saying lean obama? >> well, it appears to be. look, this election appears to be exactly where it's been all along. it's kind of humbling for us who have spilled gallons of ink trying to see where this is going. it's a very close race. it continues to narrowly favor the president in the swing state. really, over time, nothing has changed. that's exactly where we were, you know, half a year ago. here we are right now. >> has nothing changed, molly? i wonder if -- and this was suggested this morning -- that if mitt romney loses, he would blame it on sandy. >> i think there's been a lot of water under the bridge. i think it all matters. i don't think you can just go to sleep six months before election day. i think there's been a lot of back and forth. there has been some movement. but dana's exactly right.

this is a very close election. it sounds like a cliche, but most elections are not this close. 2008 was not this close. 2010 was not this close. those were wave elections. it's clear this election is not going to be one of those elections. while it does look like the electoral college math is a lot harder for romney and he's still working to put away states that he can't win without, like florida, like virginia, you also see obama clinging to very, very within the margin of error slim leads in states like new hampshire. unfortunately, none of us are allowed to sleep through election day. we're all going to have to watch the polls. >> i will let you gaze into your crystal ball, whether you like to or not, and give me a one-word answer if there is a state that keeps us awake on election night, what will it be? the conventional wisdom is ohio. molly? >> well, just because of the time zone difference, it has to be colorado or nevada. >> what do you think, dana? >> i'm hoping for a recount in

hawaii. i'm ready to go out there. >> i'm with you on that one. dana and molly, may we all be going west if there is a delay. thank you, both. homeland security secretary janet napolitano is in the northeast today to assess hurricane damage. right now she's in connecticut and will be meeting with the governor. later on, she'll head here to new york city. the travel gridlock nationwide from sandy is finally starting to ease up a bit. laguardia airport opened this morning in new york. 600 flights have been canceled today nationwide. right now newark liberty airport has the most cancellation. amtrak service to and from new york is expected to resume tomorrow but on a limited schedule. and parts of new york's crippled is upway system started rolling today. trains at undamaged stations started up at 6:00 a.m.

a select number of subway lines in new york city are up and running again this morning. but millions are still without power on this long road to recovery from hurricane sandy. take a look at some new and chilling images. these are from the jersey shore. so many homes destroyed. the entire beach front completely washed out in many towns. the storm is responsible, we're told, for at least 74 deaths. meantime, 5 million plus are still without power in new york, new jersey, and connecticut. that includes lower manhattan as well. it could be several more days before the lights are back on. in some flooded areas like hoboken, new jersey, it could take several days just to pump the water out. some resident there is are still stranded in their homes and the national guard has been helping. joining me now, democratic congressman ed markee of new

jersey. good to see you, congressman. >> good morning. >> obviously, the immediate questions are about cleanup and making sure the people are safe. this has raised questions by a lot of people about, is this about climate change? a new article in the "new york times" says scientists are not sure if the storm was caused or made worse by human-induced global warming. i wonder what your take is and what this means to the conversation. >> well, i don't think there's any question that this is related to climate change. the oceans off of the northeast coast are at historic highs in terms of temperatures. that's additional heat going into the system. that leads to actually higher seas. that leads ultimately to the much greater harm which can be done in new jersey and connecticut in new york city. so there's no question it's related. it's intensifying.

earlier this year an iceberg twice the size of manhattan actually broke off of greenland. this is intensifying, and we just basically have to change course or else what we're going to see, what we're seeing here is going to be repeated over and over and over again. this is $50 billion, perhaps, in damages. that's an extreme weather tax that's going to have to be paid rather than trying to avoid the worst consequences, which would be a much better pathway. >> there are other politicians who have brought this up. let me play a couple clips from the last few days. >> anyone who says there's not a dramatic change in weather patterns i think is denying reality. i would like to say that this is probably the last occurrence we will have. i don't believe that. >> what is clear is that the storms that we've experienced in

the last year or so around this country and around the world are much more severe than before. >> so if this is just the start, if it's going to be more of the same, what is your priority short term, and what do we need to be looking at long term? >> well, the american people, they're concerned about mother nature. the republicans, mitt romney, they're concerned about the oil companies that are largely fueling the independent expenditures which are going into this presidential race. this frames the election on tuesday very well. on the one hand, mitt romney says he wants to keep tax breaks for big oil companies, but abolish them for wind energy, which does not emit any carbon dioxide. that's basically a frame which gives people a choice as to which direction they want to go in. president obama raised fuel economy standards to 55 miles per hour by the year 2025. that not only backs out 3

million barrels of oil a day from the persian gulf, all of the oil they import from the persian gulf, but it also reduces one full year of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. mitt romney is saying he'll roll back those standards. all the way down the line, there's a sharp contrast here of, you know -- there are no emergency rooms for planets. we either engage in preventive care here and reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that go into the atmosphere, or we are going to see ever greater intensifying catastrophic events hitting our country and causing tremendous damage to the american people. >> congressman, thanks so much for coming on the program. we appreciate it. let's go live to roanoke, virginia. mitt romney is at what they're calling a victory event at integrity windows and doors company. let's listen. >> it was powerful to listen to

jake and to speak with his sister susan. the two of them are leaders, the top two people in their company. they're making products for america. they and their family and all the people who work at marvin, they did build this. [ cheers and applause ] i want to thank this guy. he wants to downgrade his title from governor to senator, but i'm nonetheless ready to make sure we do that. so i need to make sure you elect this man as the next united states senator from virginia. i need him. we've got to have him. thanks also to congressman. appreciate his leadership and support here. he's saying you're knocking on doors and making calls for him and for me. that makes a real difference. i appreciate it. how many of you have voted already or have knocked on a door or made a call? wow. that is great. thank you.

thanks, guys. keep on battling. this is a krcritical place for . this election makes a big difference. you understand that. this election will have enormous consequence. i also want to thank ricky skaggs for entertaining you before we got here. done quite a job. he's been traveling with us around the country and helping us at events. it's just marvelous to have folks in the entertainment community who are out there singing and performing to make sure people are coming and listening to our message. just a note also about the tragedies of the last several days. as you know, the extraordinary storm that hit a great part of the atlantic coast did not hit as hard here as it might have. across other parts of the country it hit very hard. a lot of people lost their lives. a lot of families have been devastated. a lot of homes have been lost and property lost. our hearts go out to the people who are suffering.

please make sure if you have an extra dollar or more than that to send it along to the red cross or salvation army or some other relief effort to make sure that we show the world and show our neighbors how much we care. we love those in need. [ cheers and applause ] now, there are other things you can do this morning besides come listen to a couple political folks. you're here, i believe, because you recognize this is an election of consequence. that the choice that gets made on november 6th will not just set the course for four years, but, in fact, will have an impact on america for many years to come, for a generation at least. this is a very critical time to decide what america's going to be, what kind of life you're going to live in your homes and in your families. i happen to believe that the choice you make will have enormous consequence. for a senior who's perhaps needing the care of a specialist, if he or she makes a

call to the doctor and if obamacare is installed and the president's re-elected, when making that call, you're most likely going to have the receptionist come back and say, we're not taking anymore medicare patients. the president is cutting medicare to pay for obamacare. for people in your 40s and 50s, these are supposed to be your high earning years. does it feel like that right now? there are just too many people having a hard time making ends meet. as a matter of fact, the median income in america has dropped by $4,300 over the last four years. so now you're earning $4300 a year less than you were four years ago. and gasoline prices, they've gone up $2,000 per family. health insurance costs, they've gone up $2,500 a family. middle-income people in america have really been squeezed. so people recognize this is an election that will make a real difference. the president's proposal in a

setting like this is to continue on the same road. he has the campaign slogan, which is forward. i saw the signs out front. forward. i think forewarned is a better word. [ cheers and applause ] i mean, do you want four more years like the last four years? do you want four more years where 23 million americans are struggling to have a good job? do you want four more years where earnings are going down every year? do you want four more years of trillion-dollar deficits in washington? how about four more years of gridlock in washington? there's no question in my view that we really can't have four more years like the last four years. i know the obama folks are chanting four more years, four more years, but our chant is this -- five more days, five more days.

that's our chant. [ cheers and applause ] [ chanting ] you know, we're going to have to come up with a better slogan tomorrow, or a different one at least. i know the president's been trying to figure out some way to suggest he's got some new ideas. because with all these people out of work, with 3 million more women in poverty today than when he took officer, with 15 million more people on food stamps than when he took office, he's got to find something to suggest it's going to be better over the next four years. so he came up with an idea last week which is he's going to create the department of business. i don't think adding a new chair

in his cabinet will help add millions of jobs on main street. [ cheers and applause ] i mean, unfortunately what you've seen before your very eyes is a campaign that keeps on shrinking and shrinking and shrinking to smaller things. he's been out talking about how he's going to save big bird and then playing silly word games with my last name, or first, and then attacking me day in and day out. attacking me doesn't make an agenda. doesn't get people back to work. we don't need the secretary of business to understand business. we need a president who understands business, and i do. that's why i'll help get this economy going. [ cheers and applause ] this isn't the time for small

measures. this is a time for greatness. this is a time for big change, for real change. that's why just as your next senator said, this is a time where from day one he's going to make changes. i'm going to make changes. i'm going to get this economy going from day one we're making changes. let me tell you some of the things we're going to do. we've got five critical things i want to do to get this economy going. the governor mentioned one of them. that is energy. i want to take full advantage of our oil, our coal, our gas, our nuclear, our renewables. [ cheers and applause ] i know that you know that when we have more plentiful energy and we can have north american energy independence within eight years, that means lower prices at the pump and at your home. it also means jobs. it's not only jobs in the energy sector. coal and gas and oil. but it's also jobs in

manufacturing like right here. there's a lot of energy used in the lumber products arena and making fiberglass and assembling these products. when energy costs are lower, we're able to create more manufacturing jobs. that's why it's so critical. we have this ace in the hole, this energy, and the president's been stalling on this for the last four years. i won't stall. we're going to unleash the power of our energy resources and get america working again. [ cheers and applause ] number two, we're going open more trade. trade works for us. we're a very productive people. we make more stuff per person in america than almost any other nation on earth. more than any of the other large nations. because of our productivity, opening up new markets for us to sell goods to creates jobs and higher income. i want to open up more markets, particularly in latin america where we have natural language

advantages, time zone advantages. latin america's economy is almost as big as china's. so i want to open more trade. china has not played by the rules. they're going to have to be held accountable. we can't let them steal jobs through unfair trade practices. number three is good training for people who need training. by the way, we also need to have great schools for the coming generation. look, our schools have fallen off from the very top. now they're in the bottom third or bottom quarter. that's unacceptable. it's time for us to make sure we put our kids and their parents and the teachers first. the teachers union is going to have to go behind. number four, we've really got to do something to create jobs that may not be immediately connected in people's minds to jobs. that relates to the federal budget and the deficit. if you're an entrepreneur thinking about starting a business like the marvin family

did in the early 1900s, or if you're a big company thinking of expanding, you have to ask yourself, is america on the road to greece? are we on the road to economic crisis, as you're seeing in europe and italy and spain and other parts of the world? if we keep on spending $1 trillion more than we take in, america's going to be, in fact, in that kind of circumstance down the road. so we're going to have to make sure that people who would think about investing here are inclined to do so because we're able to deal with our great challenges fiscally. that means i'm going to do something that's been spoken about for years but hasn't been done. that is, i'm going to cut federal spending. i'm going to cap it and finally get us on track to a balanced budget. [ cheers and applause ] number five, we have to champion small business. we have to help small businesses grow and thrive. and there are a couple ways to do that. one, we've got to make sure the

regulators understand their job is not just to catch bad guys but also to encourage the good guys. we need regulation, but they need to be up to date. regulators have to see businesses like this as their friends and encourage them and support them. by the way, we can't tax them to death. i was with a business person in st. louis. four employees from an electronics business. they calculated how much money they sent to the government every year. the federal tax, the federal payroll tax, state tax, gasoline tax. it was over half of what they made. you start a business, your chance of success is not even as good as 50/50. most small businesses won't make it. it's a risky thing to do. if you're successful, the government wants more than half of what you make. a lot of people decide not to build businesses. today, we're at the lowest level

of new business startups in 30 years. so i want to change this dynamic and make business recognize they have a friend in washington, not a foe. i believe if we do that, we do those five things and get those five done, we're going to create 12 million new jobs. [ cheers and applause ] by the way, the governor also mentioned something about my record as governor in terms of reaching a i cross the aisle. recognize, to get those five things done and to get america strong again, we have to stop the dividing and the attacking and the demonizing. we've got to reach across the aisle, bring in good democrats with good republicans and finally do the people's business and put the politics behind. i will do that.

look, they're very different futures in mind. when people think about this election, when you talk to your friends about who they're going to vote for, and i want you to do that. find at least one person who voted for barack obama and convince them to vote for me instead. for george allen as well. when you go through that, you can ask them these questions. say, look, if the president's re-ele re-elected, we're going to have $20 trillion in debt if four years and america is going to be closer to the economic crisis you're seeing in europe. if i'm elected, we're going to get america on track to a balanced budget. the president's re-elected, you're going to cut medicare by $716 billion to pay for obamacare. if i'm re-elected -- excuse me, if i'm elected -- [ cheers and applause ] let me strike that. when i'm elected --

[ cheers and applause ] we're going restore that funding to medicare and also we're going to repeal and replace obamacare so your premiums don't go up by $2,500 a year. if the president's re-elected, i don't care how much he talks about liking all of the above when it comes to energy, because i know what he means by all of the above. he means all the energy that comes from above the ground, all right? wind and solar. i like wind and sew olar too. but i also like the energy that comes from below the ground. oil, coal, and gas. we'll get it from my administration. i can also tell you this. if the president were to be re-elected, you're going see high levels of unemployment continue and stalled wage growth. if any wage growth at all, just

li like we've seen over the last four years. we've seen what his policies have produced. the only way to get this economy going is the kind of bold change i've described, real change from day one with those five steps. that will get this economy going. we'll have a very different future when i get elected with your help. [ cheers and applause ] i want you to know i'm confident about the future. i'm optimistic. i think our future is going to be brighter than the past. i know we've had a glorious past as a nation. i know we're going through tough times right now. sometimes we tend to think what we're in is the way it will always be. it's going to change. we need real change. for real change, we're going to have to take a different course. i think that's what americans are going to do on november 6th. i believe that one of the things

that will drive this country forward is the character and heart of american people. that's where my confidence comes from. we're a patriotic, hard-working, creative, risk-taking, business-starting, education-seeking people. it's who we are. i have, throughout my life, seen some of the great qualities in the human spirit in the american people i've come to know. there's some stories i love to tell that describe something about the american heart. i was a leader in the boy scouts of america some years ago. and i was at a court of honor. a court of honor is where we give out eagle scout awards and other awards. i was at a table in the gymnasium next to the american flag. the person who was speaking at the microphone was the scout master from monument, colorado.

and he said their scout troop wanted to have a special flag. they bought an american flag, gold tassels around it. they sent it off to be flown above the capitol. when it came home, they said, i wonder if it can go on the space shuttle. they contacted nasa. nasa agreed. he said, you can't imagine the pride of our boys, you know, watching from their classrooms, seeing the space shuttle "challenger" launch on the tv screen. then they saw it explode on the tv. he said he called nasa a couple weeks later and said, have you found any remnant of our flag? they hadn't. he said he called every week, month after month. still nothing. then he was reading an article in the paper and it mentioned a flag. he called nasa. they said they had a presentation to make to the boys. they opened up a plasic

container, and there was the flag in perfect condition. [ cheers and applause ] he said that's the flag at the end of the table here by mr. romney. i reached over, grabbed the flag, pulled it out. it was as if electricity was running through my arm. i thought of the people in our space program who have taken risk, put themselves in harm's way for learning, for pioneering, for knowledge, for us, for their fellow citizens. think of the men and women in our military, as the governor indicate t indicated, who serve our nation and put themselves in harm's way. [ cheers and applause ] plus, there's a verse in one of our national hymns i enjoy most.

the hymn is "america the beautiful." the verse says "oh beautiful for heros proved in liberating strife who more than self their country love and mercy more than life." thanks to our veterans and all those that serve. thank you, also -- it [ cheers and applause ] thank you also to people of america's national character that serve in other ways that, serve in ways to exemplify something about our american spirit. that is that we live for things bigger than ourself. it seems to be part of our national character. we're not entirely focused on us. we're focused on things around us. we care about our families, our churches and synagogues. we care about our communities, our schools, our country. it's part of what america is. i've seen it in so many ways. my sister is a hero to me.

they say that to be a hero you don't have to be larger than life, just larger than yourself. my sister has eight children. she's now in her 70s. her husband passed away a few years ago. her seven oldest children are all married with kids of their own. her eighth child has down syndrome. i've watched her do everything in her power to give him a fulfilled and abundant life. she's a hero because she gives of herself to someone else she loves. i think of all the single moms across america who are in many cases struggling, scraping by a bit, to make sure they have enough money to put a good meal on the table for their kids. i think of all the dads and moms working two jobs right now to

make sure that their kids will be able to have the kind of clothes the other kids at school have so they won't stand out. think of all the parents this christmas who after all these tough years, four very difficult years, are saying, we can't exchange gifts with one another. we're instead going to make sure we can give enough to our kids for a great christmas for them. it's part of who we are as a people. we have very full hearts. there was a tv show some years ago you may have seen with a fictional football team. when this football team would leave the locker room to go out on to the field, they would touch a sign on the doorway. it said this, "clear eyes, full heart, can't lose." this november, i know you people in this room have very clear eyes. you know the consequence of what this election means. you have full hearts. and we can't lose. we need you, virginia. we've got to take back america. i'm counting on you.

george is counting on you. let's make sure we keep america the hope of the earth. thank you so very much. >> the first of three appearances for mitt romney. there you see him with george allen, who's in a very tight senate race. the presidential race is very close as well. about two points in favor of barack obama. three appearances in virginia today for mitt romney. if we were expecting a kinder, gentler tone in the wake of hurricane sandy that we saw yesterday in florida, it is not here. let me bring in republican strategist and former huckabee campaign manager chip salsman and former kerry deputy campaign manager steve almandorf. one of the suggestions, chip, was that we were going to hear a different tone now. there are a lot of people in this country they are are suffering. we certainly did hear it yesterday. the attacks that are familiar are back. what do you think about this as a strategic decision by the romney campaign? >> well, he's trying to close

out these states, he's eased back into attacking the president on certain issues, especially the economy and the last four years and what that's meant to the american people. he started off kind of soft. did talk about the hurricane. kind of attacked the president a little bit in the middle. at the end, finished with a more traditional inspiration god, family, country, and apple pie of closing. then came back to the economy and jobs several times during his remarks. i think as we get closer to the election, this is a tight election, you're going to see both sides chipping away at each other. they are going to go back into normal attack mode. >> steve, we heard him say we don't need a secretary of business to understand business, among the other more familiar lines we have heard from mitt romney. are we going hear the same from the president? is he going to go back to saying some tough things about mitt romney? we only have five days to go. this is a very tight race. >> very tight race. i think it's a very clear choice between two different visions. you know, romney had nothing new to say. i think it's interesting he's in

virginia and spending so much time there today. they keep talking about expanding the map and getting him to different states. watch the schedule and watch where these guys go. we're in the same states. barack obama has the lead in most of those states. i think he's been doing great job these past couple days of showing he, as the commander in chief, has a lot to do and he's been doing it. romney's problem is he doesn't really have a job in all this. >> steve, chip, thanks for sitting with us and watching this appearance by mitt romney. it's good see you guys. >> thank you. >> we are just a short time away from president obama's first campaign event today. this is a live look. green bay, wisconsin. president obama will also be in las vegas and colorado before heading to ohio tomorrow. we will have the president's appearance for you live. we'll be right back. i have a cold... i took dayquil,

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just presidential ad spending could hit $1 billion in the next three days. in the latest round of ads, mitt romney gets a boost from the nevada governor while the obama campaign features a high-profile republican. >> housing is starting to pick up. the president saved the auto industry. the actions he's taken from protecting us from terrorism has been very, very solid. so i think we ought to keep on the track that we are on. >> over the past four years, nevada's faced extraordinary challenges. our friends and neighbors have struggled, but president obama's policies haven't helped. they've hurt us. and they're holding us back. we can do better. mitt romney's plan for a stronger middle class will create jobs right here in nevada. >> let's bring in ad guru bob gardner. great to see you. good morning. >> good morning. nice to be with you. >> you've been critical of the ads we've stheen election cycle. let me get your quick analysis of the two we just saw. >> i don't think endorsements matter that much. the powell ad, colin powell has

a lot of credibility. he's been all kinds of things in the government. he was a bush guy. so i think that helps a little bit. having the governor of nevada, you know, that's kind of standard political stuff. i'm not sure how much that helps. >> we've just gotten some new numbers from visible measure, which is a tracking firm. there's a provocative obama ad that's gotten nearly 3 million views in the past week. i want to play a little clip. >> your first time shouldn't be with just anybody. you want to do it with a great guy. someone who really cares about and understands women. a guy who cares whether you get health insurance, spaeskly whether you get birth control. my first time voting was amazing. before i was a girl. now i'm a woman. i went to the polling station, pulled back the curtain. i voted for barack obama. >> now, some conservatives and others have called this ad a little creepy, but what do you

think? is it effective? >> well, you have to remember, it's a targeted ad. it has driven some people in the right crazy. it's targeted to snarky, urban, liberal women. to the virginity analogy is kind of apt for that. i think they think it was clever. she's been called the voice of her generation. i don't know whether that's true, but it's a targeted ad. >> you say one of the most effective ads of all time is in 1984, ronald reagan's prouder, stronger, better ad. i want to play that for folks. >> it's morning again in america. today more men and women will go to work than ever before in our country's history. it's morning again in america. and under the leadership of president reagan, our country's prouder and stronger and better. why would we ever want top return to where we were less than four short years ago? >> why is that considered the

gold standard from madison avenue? >> well, it's positive. it's got great voice. i think it's a great ad. had the race been closer, i mean, mondale was not much of a factor. if the race had been closer, ting would have been a darker morning. >> bob gardner, thanks so much for being with us in our abbreviated time. when we come back, an update on sandy. ken, to creamy gouda bisque. see what's new from campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do.

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survivors throughout the area affected by sandy have been waiting in extremely long lines for gas. we're talking two hours plus in some areas. richard lui is live in richfield, new jersey. how are things looking there, richard? >> reporter: it reminds a lot of people of the '70s here. some estimates have it up to 50% of the gas stations in new york state as well as new jersey are not open right now.

this line goes through two towns. it is about 60 cars deep. takes you about two hours to get to the gas station and finally be able to fill up your tank. there's some questions at the moment about gouging. in fact, the head of the division of consumer affairs was saying some gas stations have raised their prices by 20 to 30%. however, you look at aaa right now. prices are actually down by 5% to $3.55. one of the saving graces it here, if you have a car that is run by diesel, go to the front of the line and ask them if they have a separate line for diesel. you'll get to the front. >> all right. good to know. real quickly, i see a police officer there. people behaving themselves? this is very frustrating, i'm sure. >> reporter: it is. they're saying they're just trying to keep the peace. when there are transactions with questions, the police are there. if there are accidents, the police are there. >> all right. richard lui, it's good to see you. thank you so much. that's going to wrap up this hour of jansing & co.

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